The Spark: Trinket and Abernathy
by redsoxlover34
Summary: This is a story that I came up with after seeing the new trailer and it is basically a different take on Catching Fire told from Effie's perspective, it is her view on the Quarter Quell and realizing the Capitol isn't what she always thought that it was. Give it a chance, my first Hunger Games story!


_**Hey guys, this is something that I thought of after seeing the newest trailer for Catching Fire and seeing Effie at the reaping. This is going to be a different take on Catching Fire, and possibly Mockingjay, told from the perspective of Effie and Haymitch. I'm not sure how good it is or if anyone will want me to continue, but if you do please let me know!**_

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Effie was gathered in the living room of her comfortable apartment in the center of the Capitol with Cinna, Portia and the rest of the Capitols District 12 Hunger Games team. They were waiting around the television to see President Snow announce what would be done for this year's 75 Annual Hunger Games, the 3rd Quarter Quell. They were also excited to see Katniss's wedding gowns, though even Effie had become aware of the fact that there was something off about the whole thing, she was the least knowledgeable of them all.

"Let's get Katniss Everdeen to her wedding in style!" Caesar Flickerman announced on the television as the dress portion of the show ended. "Stay tuned! That's right, this year will be the 75th anniversary of the Hunger Games, and that means time for our third Quarter Quell!"

"I wonder what they'll do." Effie squealed excitedly to her friends.

The anthem played and President Snow appeared on the television screen, the wooden box containing the cards next to him on the stage. When Panem's anthem finished playing the president began to speak.

"On the 25th anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of their choice to initiate violence, every district was made to hold an election and vote on the tributes who would represent it."

"I wonder what that would have felt like." Cinna muttered quietly.

"On the 50th anniversary, as a reminder that two rebels died for each Capitol citizen, every district was required to send twice as many tributes."

"That was a blood bath, one of the first I remember watching." Portia said.

"Here we go!" Effie said as President Snow pulled the card labeled 75 out of the box.

"And now we honor our third Quarter Quell. On the 75th anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors."

"Existing pool of victors..." Effie muttered under her breath and then let out a gasp as she understood. "NO!" she shrieked.

"There is no way this is a coincidence." Cinna said and Portia nodded along with him.

Effie couldn't even say anything, realization hit her like a blast of cold air. This wasn't a game, none of this was fun, this whole thing was sick, she had been ferrying children to their deaths for years. District 12 had only 3 living victors, all three of whom she cared for very much. She didn't know how she was going to do this, Katniss was going back in the arena no matter what. If she drew Peeta's name, Haymitch would go and if she drew Haymitch's name the Peeta would go.

"I don't know how I am going to do this. I can't send Katniss to the arena for a second year in a row, and Peeta oh my god." Effie said out loud.

They all sat there in relative silence, Effie and Portia had tears running down their faces, they weren't stupid. Katniss was good, but she would be going against older, stronger victors. Peeta only had one leg, and Haymitch was older and always drunk, the shock of being cutoff from alcohol might kill him before anyone in the arena got a chance. After a while, Cinna and Portia and their Prep Teams left Effie's house with the promise that they would see her when she returned to the Capitol after the reaping. Effie would have to go to the President's mansion tomorrow with all of the other District's escorts to get further instructions.

She had no idea how she was going to deal with this, she had just spent three weeks with Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch on the victory tour. She loved those kids like they were her own, she even loved Haymitch, in a different way than she did the kids though. She realized now that everything that Haymitch and Cinna had told her about the Capitol was true, they were evil, murderous and unforgiving. Katniss and Peeta had ruffled their feathers last year when they had won the games and this was their punishment.

As upset as this made her, Effie knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she had to keep herself composed or she would get herself in a lot of trouble and danger. She would have to be composed tomorrow with President Snow, during the reaping and all of the other public events that came with the Hunger Games.

xxxx

"Ms. Trinket." President Snow said snapping Effie out of her thoughts. She looked up to let him know that she had heard him. "Are you going to be able to handle this, what with your relationships with Ms. Everdeen, Mr. Mellark, and Mr. Abernathy."

"Sir, they are only victors that I was able to escort and a drunk who is a mentor, I will be perfectly fine." she lied through her teeth the best that she could.

"Wonderful." he said drawing out each syllable in the word. "You leave tomorrow, the reaping will take place on Friday, I will see you back here on Monday night for the opening ceremonies." he said, she took that as a sign of dismissal and turned to leave the room. "Oh, and Ms. Trinket, remember, the cameras are always on."

A chill ran down her back as she turned and left the room and walked the entire way back to her apartment.

xxxxx

When Effie arrived in District 12, it took all she had not to just burst into tears at the sight of it. She walked to the Justice Building where she was to wait for the reaping, which would take only moments this year. She sat silently in a chair for the two hours she had to wait for the reaping. The staff of the Justice Building were confused because they knew that this wasn't the Effie Trinket that usually came to District 12 for a Hunger Games reaping. She was usually talkative and full of energy, but today she looked as if she were going to cry if someone looked at her the wrong way.

"Miss Trinket, its time." one of the staffers said and she rose and walked as confidently as she could to the stage.

Katniss was standing off to one side by the reaping ball that contained only one slip of paper, and everyone knew what name was on it. The podium was in the middle and on the other side was the boys reaping ball with two slips of paper and next to it were Peeta and Haymitch. Effie looked at all three of them with an expression of pure sadness that they mimicked.

"Hello and welcome to the reaping for the 75th annual Hunger Games." she said flatly, lacking all of her normal hype. The people in the crowd seemed to understand what was going on with her, she swore she even saw a few shoot her sympathetic looks. "May the odds be ever in your favor." she said, but she knew the odds were in no ones favor today, nor had they ever been.

Effie had to scrap around the bottom of the reaping ball for a painstaking minute before she was able to wrap her fingers around the piece of paper with Katniss's name on it.

"Katniss Everdeen." she said, her voice wavered and cracked and a single tear fell down her face as she turned to look at the girl who's name she had just read. Effie knew she had just sealed her fate, she was going to be in a lot of trouble, she hadn't been able to keep her uncaring mask, it had cracked and so had she. It was completely silent as she and Katniss had their own silent conversation.

Effie realized that she had spent too long staring at Katniss and was just digging herself in deeper, but suddenly she didn't seem to care. These people were awful, what was about to happen to these people were awful, she could no longer stand for this, she knew that she had to do something. But for the time being she had to reach her hand into the male's reaping ball. She wrapped her fingers around the first paper she grabbed. She knew that whoever's name was on this paper was safe. She hated herself for hoping that she drew Peeta's name so that Haymitch would volunteer for him. She made another noise that was caught on the microphone as she saw the name on the paper.

"Haymitch Abernathy." she had barely finished saying his name when Peeta shouted out:

"I volunteer!"

"Ladies and Gentlemen, your district 12 tributes for the 75th annual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark." she said, her voice was uneven, but that was the best that she could manage.

She was about to lead the kids into the Justice Building to say goodbye to their families as they had a year ago but Peacekeepers came from no where and grabbed her, Haymitch, Peeta and Katniss by the arms and dragged them to the train. Effie could hear the heartbreaking shouts of Primrose Everdeen and the even more heartbreaking cries of Katniss. All four of them were thrown roughly onto the train, even Effie, though she expected it after the way she had cracked up in the reaping.

"I didn't get to say goodbye..." Katniss muttered.

"We'll write them letters Katniss, Effie will make sure that they get them won't you Effie?" Peeta asked, desperation in his voice.

"Of course I will." she said, she didn't add: _if I'm still alive_, like she thought in her head.

"Thank you." Katniss said, tears falling from her eyes once again, Peeta put his arm around her shoulders.

"I am so sorry." Effie said quietly, but she knew they had all heard her, her thoughts were confirmed 100% when Katniss stood up and hugged her.

"I'm going to my room, will you come get me for dinner?" Katniss asked, Effie and Haymitch nodded and Peeta followed her.

"Haymitch come with me please." Effie pleaded, she had to talk to him in a place that she knew the Capitol wouldn't be listening, and that place was her room, more specifically her bathroom.

She dragged Haymitch all the way into her bathroom before he gave her a confused look.

"You know Sweetheart, usually I'm the drunk one."

Effie had long since learned how to ignore Haymitch's ridiculous comments. "I need to talk to you about something."

Haymitch seemed to understand what Effie was looking to talk about and turned on the sink and shower to be 100% sure that they weren't going to be overheard.

"What do you want to talk about Ms. Trinket?" he asked.

"I cannot watch those two kids die, I am already a monster and you should all hate me for what I have done, but I have realized things, things I think I knew but chose to ignore. I can't do it with them, I care about them way too much, more than I should, I can't watch this anymore. Tell me you have a plan, please Haymitch."

Haymitch did have a plan, one he had put into place with many people during the Victory Tour. He knew that Effie truly cared for Peeta and Katniss, that much was clear since half way through their first Hunger Games last year, but he was still wary of her at this moment because this was very un-Effie behavior and she did work for the Capitol. But as he observed her for the next few seconds, he could see the spark in her eyes, it was the same one that he had in his.

"Yes, I have a plan."

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_**So what did you think? Shall I keep going?**_


End file.
